A woman chief minister for Maharashtra? | Mumbai news

A recent comment made by Uddhav Thackeray has become a talking point and even a matter of speculation in political circles. Speaking at a meeting last week, the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief said a competent man or woman should be made chief minister of the state.

“You don’t have to make me chief minister again but we have to make one of our own competent men or women the chief minister. We will have to reach the people if we have to make this a reality,” he said at a meeting of the Matang community, a socially backward group. Thackeray made a pitch for unity of Shiv Shakti (Sena followers), Bhim Shakti (followers of Dr Ambedkar) and Lahu Shakti (Matang community).

The speculations soon followed: Was the remark made in just a flow of speech or was it a deliberate selection of words? Is he preparing the ground for wife Rashmi’s entry into politics or is there a pact with Nationalist Congress party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar for Supriya Sule?

Rashmi Thackeray is part of Uddhav’s think tank but she has always avoided getting into electoral politics. It is unlikely that she will deviate from this stand, according to insiders in the Thackeray camp.

Some also wonder if there was an understanding between Thackeray and Pawar to share the chief ministerial tenure for an equal period when the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government was formed. Of course, the NCP had often made it clear that the party had supported Thackeray for a five-year tenure. While there is no clarity on why Thackeray said so, his remarks have opened the debate on how the state never had a woman chief minister even as most major states in India—Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal—have had women occupying the top chair.

Currently there are several leading women politicians in the state, prominent among them are Supriya Sule (NCP), Pankaja Munde (BJP) and Yashomati Thakur (Congress). Shiv Sena has rarely had a senior level woman politician. It did not have any minister in the Thackeray-led cabinet. Party leader Neelam Gorhe is now deputy chairperson of the legislative council. Will a woman politician occupy the chair on the sixth floor of Mantralaya? We may have to wait till the next assembly elections to find out.

Most influential minister in Shinde cabinet?

State health minister Tanaji Sawant is a heavyweight minister. He comes from chief minister Eknath Shinde’s Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena. In Mantralaya, it is jokingly said that he is the most influential minister after Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. Why? He gets things done his way.

A few weeks ago, he said that he would break the monopoly of the state-owned Haffkine Institute that buys and supplies medicines to government hospitals. Eyebrows were raised as the state cabinet soon took a decision to that effect, allowing other options to supply medicines to government hospitals.

Then it was the issue of Tukaram Mundhe, a straightforward IAS officer who is generally disliked by politicians because of his style of functioning. Mundhe was appointed as director, national health mission and commissioner for family welfare. According to reports, he had already started taking his administration to task by paying surprise visits and asking questions over lacunae in the system. Sawant was not amused it seems. Recently, Mundhe was transferred from his department—his 19th transfer in his career.

Sawant, who runs sugar factories and education institutions, has tremendous influence on Shinde. He also had another achievement as the state cabinet granted permission to his Pune-based education institute to start a private college even as the opposition questioned the presence of the minister in a meeting on the fate of his own institute. Fruits of rebellion are sweet, it seems.

Growing importance of Sushma Andhare

Sushma Andhare, an activist from the Ambedkarite movement who joined the Thackeray-led faction soon after the split in the Shiv Sena, has become a crowd-puller for the party. Andhare’s oratory has won her significant following among Shiv Sena workers and followers. Andhare, with her unique satirical style, has been attacking BJP and Shinde faction leaders. Her speeches at the Maha Prabodhan Yatra of the party have become quite popular and get thousands of views on You Tube.

Shiv Sena had several firebrand male leaders but the party, famous for its active and daring women’s wing, never had a female leader known for her oratory. Andhare is much in demand when Sena (UBT) units organise public functions. A section of the party leaders however thinks she is getting undue importance. At least two women leaders who are building bridges with the Shinde faction may use this as an excuse to switch over their loyalty, if the whispers in the party are to be believed. Andhare’s advantage is that she has a clean slate and minces no words while attacking the BJP-BSS combine while several senior leaders of the party are careful while criticising Thackeray’s political rivals.


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